Through The War

here lies dobby, a free elf

The quartet landed in cold and wet sand, all of them falling to the ground harshly. The first thing Ginny noticed was the yell of anguish from Harry, and him running from the group to a figure of bloody rags on the beach. Ginny gasped. Right as they had apparated away, Bellatrix had thrown a cursed knife at them - Ginny hadn't realized it got them, and it hit Dobby straight on. The knife was cursed, there was no way of survival for the poor elf, it'd stabbed him right in the chest, and Ginny was surprised that Dobby still survived the apparation - he probably splinched even more.

" Hermione! Ginny! Someone! Please, help!" Harry pleaded, tears threatening to spill over his eyes as the small elf twitched in the sand. Ginny tried her hardest not to cry, but it was inevitable. Dobby's rags were quickly staining red all over and it was all over Harry's hands.

Hermione looked at Dobby regretfully, her eyes clouded with tears. Shaking her head and leaning onto Ron for support, they all understood fully. She could do nothing, and she was in no condition to try at the moment.

Harry still seemed desperate to do something and pulled out the wand and muttered healing spell after healing spell - but there was nothing to be done. Dobby whispered something to Harry that the others couldn't hear, and the loyal elf took his last breath, and died in Harry's arms. Harry's eyes widened in horror and grief, the last words from the elf seemingly breaking him. He was shaking, trying to hold tears in.

"No." Harry breathed, resting his face on Dobby's forehead, tears leaving streaks down his face. Ginny gingerly walked over to him, and Luna crouched down to Dobby, and gently closed his eyelids that showed his glassy and unseeing eyes.

"There. Now it's like he's only sleeping." She whispered, and stroked Dobby's head like a mother would. Harry closed his eyes once more, trying to hide his tears.

Ginny felt her own tears running down her cheeks, and Hermione was crying silently, her head on Ron's shoulder as he too, looked on the verge of tears. They'd all had some sort of attachment to the elf, whether it was strong or weak, it still hurt and he'd just died saving their lives. It was a debt they could never repay.

As the small group dispersed, Harry insisted on burying him a grave, and doing it the muggle way as well, by shovel. It was tough and most of the group ( the group being Bill, Fleur, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Dean, though he'd already left ) thought he was mad for it, he was still insistent. It was to honor him, he said. Ginny silently agreed.

Even though it started to rain, Harry kept hacking away at the tough sand, his face pained and his clothes and hair drenched, he was determined to make a perfect grave for Dobby. The others had left, but he kept at it alone, even against Ginny's invitation for a lunch break.

Finally, she'd decided he had gotten enough alone time, it was time for talking.

Shivering, Ginny wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and head, stalking out of the seaside cottage and spotting Harry still digging furiously, the rain was pelting him, but he didn't seem to notice, only focusing on the elf. She sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around herself and headed for Harry, her heart still clenching at the thought of innocent and pure Dobby.

She reached him in the freezing rain, his back to her and his wand stuck into the sand haphazardly. "Moody would have your head for that. Something about blowing up crab buttocks or something." Ginny tried. Harry glanced back at her and stopped shoveling. His mood was still dark. "By all means, keep shoveling in the cold and miserable rain, but please Harry, talk to us." She continued, coming closer and wrapping the drenched blanket around them. He hugged her, his face angry and sad. He said nothing.

" You're doing it again." She whispered. He looked at her confusedly. "Bottling up your emotions."

" I don't bottle up- okay, fine. Maybe I bottle up all of my emotions until I explode. Happy now?" He said dryly, and Ginny nodded, her cheeky grin lightening the mood a bit.

"I'm going to finish it today." Harry still said. Ginny sighed again, leaning her head on his shoulder, Harry pressed into her for comfort. He grabbed his wand from the ground and cast a shield and drying charm on the blanket, his mood lighter but his face still sad.

"He died with someone he loved." Said Ginny, wrapping an arm around Harry's lower waist. " He was a hero. We should honor him as such." Grabbing her wand from her pocket, she looked to Harry, who nodded his consent, and cast a shield charm above the grave, and charmed a wreath of flowers before the tombstone. Harry had mostly finished the ditch part, and Ginny carved the words into the tombstone.

Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf

Harry turned into Ginny's arms once they were finished with it, and Ginny carefully laid Dobby into the casket Harry conjured, covering him with a soft blanket and pillow and stowing away hats and socks they thought he would've liked. By the time they'd finished, it was time for breakfast, and the sun was already rising. Tired, they laid into the sand together, leaning on a boulder, nodding off already.

******

" Did you bury the grave?" Said Ron bluntly the moment they walked through the door of the cottage. Luna was upstairs and asleep along with the others who'd been captive, Ron, Hermione, Fleur and Bill were talking and drinking teas in the kitchen.

"Yeah." Said Harry, his face hard and determined. Ginny could tell he was already pushing the thoughts of Dobby out of his mind and focusing on Griphook and Hufflepuff's cup.

"We don't have to talk about it." Said Hermione quietly, stirring some milk into her tea, looking at Harry sympathetically, and he barely looked her in the eyes.

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" Hermione tried again, setting down her tea and offering it to Harry.

"I'm fine." He looked away, his grip on Ginny's hand tightening subconsciously.

"Harry..."

"I said I'm fine, Hermione!" Harry snapped, and then groaned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry Hermione. Didn't mean to-

" It's alright. Don't worry." She said quickly, and Ginny glared at Harry.

"No, Hermione, I'm sorry." He said again, his face ashamed. " I've been snapping at you all the time when all you try to do is help, and I think Ron and I both need to really apologize to you about that."

Hermione smiled bashfully, and went back to stirring her tea thoughtfully. Bill stood up.

" I'm going to go check on Ollivander." He said, stretching his arms a bit and turning for the door.

"I need to see him." Bill frowned.

" Harry, you know he needs to recover."

" I need to see him. We need to find the ho- we need to ask him some questions."

"Oh, right." Bill said, his face curious on about what Harry almost let slip. He tiptoed out of the room, and Fleur followed, leaving instructions with Hermione on how to recover a bit easier.

"It must be Helga Hufflepuff's little gold goblet or whatever the bloody hell you call it." Said Ron when they left.

" It's called a cup, Ronald." Hermione quipped. He blushed.

******

"Ollivander barely helped! All that tosh about twin cores-

" Actually, he helped quite a bit. I know what we need to talk about." Harry said, his face hard.

"What?" Asked Hermione.

" Harry..." Said Ginny nervously, as Harry's face turned a bit fearful.

" We need to break into Gringotts. If Griphook agrees we leave the day after tomorrow."